Introduction to Policy & Governance
Understand how laws, institutions, and public policy actually get made -- and how citizens and civil society can shape them.
Module 1: What Governance Actually Means
Define governance and distinguish it from government.
Module 2: The Three Arms of Government
Understand the roles of the executive, legislature, and judiciary, and why they are kept separate.
Module 3: How a Policy Is Made
Trace the stages a policy idea passes through before it becomes enforceable.
Module 4: National and Local Government
Distinguish the roles and responsibilities of national versus state/local government levels.
Module 5: Civil Society and Advocacy
Understand how NGOs, CSOs, and ordinary citizens influence policy outside of elections.
Module 6: Elections and Political Participation
Learn how electoral systems work and the full range of ways citizens participate in politics.
Module 7: Budgets, Taxation, and Public Finance Basics
Understand where government revenue comes from and how a public budget is structured.
Module 8: Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption
Understand what rule of law means in practice and the mechanisms used to constrain corruption.
Module 9: International and Regional Governance
Understand how regional and international bodies shape national policy without replacing national sovereignty.
Module 10: How to Engage With Policy as a Citizen
Apply the course's concepts to practical ways an individual can influence policy outcomes.
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